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Racial Speech Skill

.Leif.

Posted 14 November 2012 - 03:20 AM

.Leif.

(4) Theurgist

Members

222 posts

Location:One Step Beyond

Hopefully the Aumaua will know how to gurgle a message to the Weresharks, "Don't eat us, we taste like rot".
I think given PE's funding having the characters (or party) only understand certain languages used by monsters or various factions would be interesting. You might take the Monk in a certain region because he could speak with the raiders. You might take the ranger because she can commune with the dryads. Want to talk to the giants? Take the Aumaua.
Perhaps the Cipher could speak all languages through telepathy.

Can we please not let the potential deadness of the Latin language derail this thread?

Osvir

Posted 14 November 2012 - 03:43 AM

Osvir

Arch-Mage

Members

3799 posts

Location:Stockholm, SE

Hopefully the Aumaua will know how to gurgle a message to the Weresharks, "Don't eat us, we taste like rot".I think given PE's funding having the characters (or party) only understand certain languages used by monsters or various factions would be interesting. You might take the Monk in a certain region because he could speak with the raiders. You might take the ranger because she can commune with the dryads. Want to talk to the giants? Take the Aumaua.Perhaps the Cipher could speak all languages through telepathy.

Can we please not let the potential deadness of the Latin language derail this thread?

This would promote the use of different classes and different races for a more broad playthrough. My last Baldur's Gate gameplay was... 1 Half-Orc, 3 Humans, 2 Elves... and I usually go about that type. Seldom do I use the Gnome, or the Dwarf, tbh. Likewise, having 4 Humans and 2 Elves in your group would give you an entirely different playthrough than having 1 Orcs, 1 Human, 2 Elves, 1 Dwarf and 1 Gnome. It would give more replayability (I think).

Tethros

Posted 16 November 2012 - 08:53 AM

Tethros

(1) Prestidigitator

Members

9 posts

Location:Marrakesh, Morocco

I think this is a great idea, and would make for some really interesting gameplay. Yes, levels of language could definitely be implemented. Although it certainly could be frustrating to travel through an entire cityscape where you don't speak the same language as anyone else, it would make for a unique challenge, and maybe even open the door for some specific character builds (the word Laleomancer, came to mind, so I'll stick with that). And, of course, this difficulty could be mitigated by having their be a guild whose specialty would be to hire out translators for a given period of time. This, again would add another level of intrigue and challenge, as the internal politics of the language guild (League of Laleomancers?) could conflict with local politics, with the character's own interests, etc.

Ok, I'm getting too wrapped up in this. But in short, yes, different languages would make for unique gameplay.

Osvir

Posted 16 November 2012 - 09:13 AM

Osvir

Arch-Mage

Members

3799 posts

Location:Stockholm, SE

A Translator sounds like an awesome feature to have, a temporary party member that you have to pay over time for his/her services. Perhaps there could be diplomats and translator in cities where there is a language you can't understand. So at first you get to the town and no one understand you and you don't understand anyone, so you get directed to the translator through some gibberish language, unless you have a party member that does understand the language. Of course, depends on how this town/village/place looks outsiders. You might start some cultural war against their tradition because you did something wrong (You'd be warned in Gibberish too of course, so you'd get a chance to not get sent into a war with the town/village, but if you repeat yourself over and over again doing the same abuse/breaking rules you'd get a hostile village after you).

Agelastos

Posted 17 November 2012 - 05:11 PM

Agelastos

(4) Theurgist

Members

251 posts

Location:Sweden

The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall had Language Skills. IIRC (it's been 16 years), if your character knew how to speak the Daedric language, that skill would be checked whenever s/he came close to a Daedra. If successful, the Daedra would be non-hostile (until provoked), allowing you to speak with it.

By Odin's empty eye-socket, Daggerfall was a great game. One of these days I'll have to replay it...

Vhostym

Posted 18 November 2012 - 10:31 PM

Vhostym

(0) Nub

Members

4 posts

I think you could also make language a more cultural concept, like how many modern CRPGs do it. When someone speaks another language they don't speak it exclusively, but instead intersperse words of the language into their speech to emphasize certain points or use culturally relevant invective. With a higher language skill or intelligence stat the player could do this as well, giving them a cultural connection, and probably a reputation boost as well. This would show how the player is knowledgeable about the culture and would add some level of immersion. If you wanted to go overboard you could add in a mechanic where the more you interact with a culture (quests, companions or something else) the more you understand their language and can gain this quasi-fluency.

Also I second Agelastos, Daggerfall was the best Elder Scrolls game, with Morrowind as a close-ish second.